Friday, October 28, 2011

Week 1 Reading Copyright Issues Information Overload

I found this week’s “reading” to be extremely interesting.Copyright laws are something that I know little about.I found the documentary “Good Copy/Bad Copy” to be eye opening for a number of reasons.

There has been such uproar over file sharing in the music industry and the mass production of knock-off movies.

I believe the entertainment industry needs to embrace the use of the Internet as a distribution point for the media.I do not believe in downloading music or movies that I have not paid for.Having said that, I collect concert DVD’s and every once in a while someone will ask me for my Cheap Trick at Budokan DVD.No, I do not give that out.I would however make a copy to give out…

I guess my point is, I understand why people need to have copyright protection, and I understand that when I buy media it is mine to use as I see fit, as long as I do not make a profit or display it in a way that it is not intended.

During the movie they discussed the digital movie making industry in Nigeria.As someone who has some ability to produce video digitally I thought this was awesome.I can, with little equipment, produce a video, post it on the web, have millions of people see it, and still make no money.I can also use the Internet to introduce myself to the world.

I am careful when making video for home.I would love to put some of my favorite songs to a homemade video to enhance the viewing.I won’t.I have paid for all of the music in my iTunes and I respect the artists who have given me pleasure my whole life.If everyone in the world did not pay for the music they listen to, no one will make music.And that, my friend, would be a sad, sad day!

2 comments:

One of the biggest issues concerning pirating of music and movies, in my opinion, is the relative ease of doing so. This does not make it right, or legal, but the movie studios and record labels really need to try and update their distribution methods to make legal purchases more readily available to the public. iTunes has done so much to simplify distribution channels, yet there are still companies out there that do not want to partner with iTunes to make this possible, but most have finally seen the light.

I think the newest frontier in the copyright battle has to do with Ebooks. Like movies and music a few years ago, the book publishing companies have been extremely reluctant to use widespread electronic distribution methods, and books have been the latest media to be broadly pirated. I feel that not only does the distribution need to be streamlined, but the pricing structure must be changed in order for media companies to succeed.

Great personal take on the problems with copyright and "sharing." It's a big problem. Alas, I find it hypercritical for record companies to complain about theft when the basic artist contract leaves nothing for the artist and except for the very few, is a kind of theft all by itself. Ack.